Saving What We Love
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: On March 22nd, 2017, I hit 100 stories on this channel. On July 24th, 2018, I hit 200. Now, on October 31st, 2019, I have hit 300! This is post-Rise of Skywalker. Finn is grappling with the blossoming romance between Ben Solo and Rey, and also a looming death sentence for the prisoner. Can he find it in his heart to accept Rey's love for a criminal? Read, review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: So Warm

**Chapter 1: So Warm**

Rey and Ben stared at each other across the rocky plains of Exogol, the dying screams and shattering form of Palpatine having only just been sucked away on the air.

Everything was so quiet, so still - a state of being that Rey had not known for over a year, so long that she barely remembered what it felt like. But there was one state of being that she actively wished to still forget: being alone. And now, staring into Ben Solo's gentle eyes, she dared to hope that she never would be alone again.

Wordlessly, Rey and Ben crossed the remaining distance between them, and they embraced. The hug was crushing, and Rey felt her face ease into a content smile. She dared to rest her head on his shoulder - the only grounding thing she could think to do as her world happily spun of its axis, seeking to quickly reorient itself in this new, happy, _safe_ galaxy.

"Are you all right?" Ben asked with tender concern as he drew back. "You're trembling."

"My hands are cold." Shivering, Rey took Ben's hands in her own. She cracked the slightest of smiles, letting out a nervous giggle. "Yours, too." Slowly, she guided their joined palms back to rest directly over his heart. "So warm..."

Ben softly cupped her cheek. "So beautiful..."

Eyelids growing heavy, Rey and Ben drifted ever closer together. His handsome face hovering near hers, Rey held back for a moment, feeling shy. Oh so hesitantly, her smile broadening, she leaned in and felt her lips meet Ben's in a gentle kiss.

Rey felt the kiss quickly deepen, as Ben's arms encircled hers and he held her tightly. She simply kept still, her lips soft and pliant, remaining at rest in his embrace, and allowed his kiss to wash over her like a warm wave. Her hands, still entwined with his and resting against his chest, curled to tighten their grip and even bunch some of the fabric of his tunic in her fists. Her knees buckled out from under her and she swooned, but Ben cradled her oh so tenderly, Rey felt as though she was floating.

Locked in a soothing embrace and dizzying kiss, the grandson of Darth Vader and the granddaughter of Darth Sidious were lost in their own world. Until...

"Get your hands _off_ of her, Sithspawn!" A pair of dark hands roughly pulled them apart. Finally having tasted what he desired in a kiss that had been a long time building, Ben had no intention of letting go. Teeth bared like an animal, he tried to move and protect his lover even as that infernal FN-2187 threw Rey protectively behind him. "Stay away from my sister!"

Ben's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "_Sister_? Rey, what's going on?"

But FN-2187 - _Finn_, Ben heard the name in Rey's mind, was no longer paying attention as he rounded on the Jedi. "Can't you see he's one of them?"

"No," Rey said with soft defiance. "I saw only him."

"There's only one thing a Sith like that wants - possession," Finn lectured her. "A man who mercilessly kills has no heart! A man who kills cannot love! No Sith can!"

Now, the Sith Code actually had no mention of possession. And if there was one thing Ben had learned in his courtship of Rey, it was that love and possession are not the same thing. But passion? Oh, yes, that was in the Sith Code. And right now, Ben felt a fierce passion for the beautiful woman just out of reach, though not born of anger as the Sith would have it, but rather, a deep, deep, abiding love. That this nothing Stormtrooper traitor would presume to know what Ben was after rubbed the young Solo deeply the wrong way.

"That's a _lie_!" he shouted in offense.

Finn whirled on him. "She would listen to her adopted brother before she ever listened to you, Sithspawn!"

"I'm the granddaughter of the Emperor," Rey told Finn calmly. "Does that make _me_ a Sithspawn?"

Finn's body seemed to sway along with his thoughts as they jolted to a halt.

"Does that mean that _I_ have no heart? That _I_ cannot love, Finn?" Rey's eyes shone as they fixed now upon Ben. "Because all I feel is the most wonderful love I've ever known for... _Ben_..." The sound of his name on her lips - lips that he had kissed - made Ben's heart melt, his expression puddle into the most lovesick grin ever to grace his face. Surely he looked idiotic.

But Finn, glancing between one lover to the other, now appeared... terrified. In the interim, Rose, Jannah and a handful of Resistance fighters breached the Exogol plain. "Soliders," Finn's voice sounded strangled. "Put this man in chains. I want him in the most secure cell, with Force-proof cuffs on him. Take him away."

"NO!" Rey screamed, looking utterly panicked as Resistance troops jumped Ben and began to drag him away. She reached for him, clawing, screaming as Finn restrained her. "BEN!"

"REY!"


	2. Chapter 2: Marriage License

**Chapter 2: Marriage License**

It was a quiet afternoon in Finn's spacious office, as he sat at his desk going over docs and papers. Finishing out the Resistance-First Order War as the Commander of the Resistance had been a daunting task, one that had fallen into his lap due to the untimely deaths of Poe Dameron and Leia Organa before him. The transition into Finn's new role as Supreme Allied Commander of the Final Republic was even more daunting. But Finn gutted it out like he always did. Military business, he was well accustomed to. And now, he had a purpose that was very much worthwhile. A content life, now the husband of a woman who loved him. A sister by blood in Jannah.

Yes, for Finn, everything seemed to be coming together. Except for one thing...

Ever since the aftermath of Exogol, Rey had refused to speak to him. She instead shut herself up in her home aboard the _Millennium Falcon_, the famed ship now finally retired and unable to fly again. From the little of Rey that she had seen, Rose had explained to him: "She is distressed about Ben. She can't feel him through the Force."

Ben Solo had been remanded to the most secure cell on the Republic Army's new headquarters on Tatooine. Force-proof cuffs remained on his body around the clock, lest he try to use his powers to escape. Even if there had been no cuffs, however, his guards had reported that Ben was submissive. A model prisoner. Finn simply replied that his men be on their guard. Ben Solo needed to be secured while the Senate Court decided his fate. Capital punishment for his many crimes as Kylo Ren was being actively considered - a grim fact that made Finn turn back to one blank piece of parchment perched on the corner of his desk. He would have to get on that task soon, the deadline was weeks away...

A sharp knock at the door distracted his attention. "Come in," he quipped.

Beaumont, auburn whiskers still clinging to his cheeks, bustled in. The former cadet was an able Secretary, and the pair had become good friends during the war. Never as close as Finn had been with Poe (a pang of sorrow now went through him acutely), but...

"Telegram for you, Mr. Tico," Beaumont passed the correspondence to his boss. Setting it aside, Finn smiled at the sound of his married name, one that Rose had asked him to share and one he had readily agreed to take when they married. Though never knowing his surname of birth was still a sore spot for him, Finn had gotten Jannah out of the little he could uncover about his past. Though older, his sister remembered about as much of their past as he did, so at least they could both sympathize. And also sympathize with Rey, back when she was still talking to him...

"Oh, and one more moment of your time, sir," Beaumont handed over a manila envelope. "This came through at noon delivery. Applications for marriage licenses."

Finn chuckled. The end of the war had seen many weddings, including his own. Even a few births. "Hope this is the last of them," he remarked. In truth, he didn't care. They needed every happy moment they could get, to counter the lingering grief.

"Oh, you know, three or four... You'll see," Beaumont muttered dryly before taking his leave.

Finn turned the manila envelope over in his hand. The seal was broken. "Hey, Beaumont, what did I tell you about going through my mail...?" But his secretary was already long gone. Finn huffed. Mail tampering was technically a galactic federal offense... if he didn't like the bloke's company so much, he would have fired Beaumont a long time ago.

There were only a few applications inside the envelope, as Beaumont had described. Lieutenant Kaydel Kol Connix was seeking a short-term wedding date to marry the nephew of Wedge Antilles... Finn would have to ask the aging Captain about that; he hadn't been aware that Kaydel was seeing anyone. Another application on behalf of two female fighter pilots from Gold Squadron, both only passing acquaintances of Finn...

And the third and final application for a marriage license was for Rey of Jakku and Ben Solo.

Finn sighed, the paper fluttering to his desk as he ran a hand over his face. It was the fourth such application from the star-crossed couple to reach his desk in two months. The first one, sent mere days after Ben's capture, had been DENIED out of hand; Finn deemed the marriage of a high-profile prisoner to be a galactic security risk. He still thought that, truth be told, though there was technically no law against it. The second application had met the same fate as the first, though for reasons more petty - Finn had found it first thing on his desk one morning after needing to comfort Rose through a bout of sorrow over her sister, Paige, the night before. Paige... who had died fighting the First Order. Ben had caused that death, though indirectly. The third time, just two standard weeks ago... Makerdamn it, Finn didn't even remember the reason for stamping DENIED that time.

Slumping in his chair, Finn glanced at the chrono on the wall. 0500. Quitting time. Hastily, he gathered all three marriage license applications back into the manila envelope and slipped it into his rucksack. He would consider them this evening before dinner - a cool down after a long day's work. Right now, he needed to get home to Rose, and her warmth. It was a hurried commute on his landspeeder back through the streets of Anchorhead, to the high rise apartments on the far side of town.

Entering their little hovel, he found the apartment kitchen empty. "Rosie?"

"Bathroom!" Poking his head in, Finn found his wife halfway under the sink.

"Burst pipe?" he asked, not seeing any signs of flooding on the tiles.

"Nah, but someone needs to teach this strainer flange a few manners. And the aerator's had a bad day, too."

Finn smiled softly. It was his incredibly good fortune, to have a wife who was so accomplished in engineering. Grin broadening, he grabbed Rose's ankle and yanked her out from under the sink.

"What are you... Mmmmm..." She moaned into his mouth as he kissed her greedily, caressing her face so that a speck of grime transferred onto his thumb. Releasing her, he grinned.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." Laughing at her weak, flustered smile back, Finn strode back over to the dinner table, procuring the manila envelope from his rucksack.

He rubber-stamped the applications for Kaydel and his Gold Squadron colleagues within seconds. Then, he turned his attention to the one from Rey. It was her handwriting on the form - Ben, the prisoner, did not have access to pen and paper. If he had, and he had been the one to fill it out, Finn would have done more than just DENIED it. He would have burned it.

The voice of his wife suddenly floated over to him. "What's with the face?"

"Hmm?" he grunted, flipping the form over and back again so as to give his idle hands something to do. "What face?"

"_That_ face," Rose came up behind him, sending magical hands to work a soothing massage into his shoulders. "You've been staring at that same paper for the last ten minutes as though you want to shoot holes in it with your blaster." Her curiosity piqued, she snatched it off the tabletop before Finn could make a grab for it. Sweeping over the first line, her brow creased.

"Is this the first application she's sent?" It was a rhetorical question, and Finn knew better than to lie.

"Try fourth," he sighed. "They've been coming in every two standard weeks, like clockwork, ever since Exogol. By now, Beaumont must think it's funny."

"I don't," Rose frowned. She waved the form in his face. "Why the kriff haven't you signed it yet?"

"I only sign if I stamp ACCEPTED, Rosie," Finn huffed.

"So you mean to tell me you've stamped DENIED on the marriage license application of your best friend three times already?" Rose rarely raised her voice, but she didn't need to. When she was angry, it rang through clear as day in her tone. Finn winced. Rose let out something between a huff and a growl, stomping away. "You stubborn nerf-herder..."

"What would you have me do, Rosie?" Finn shifted around in his chair as his wife changed into her nightgown and crawled onto their bed. "Give my blessing so my best friend can marry a murderer?"

"If you ever want her to be your best friend again, then Yes!" She folded her arms and glared at him pointedly. The way her lip stuck out would be cute if she wasn't so peeved at him.

"She won't talk to me! I've tried!" Finn whined.

"And don't you think this might have something to do with it? Along with locking up her boyfriend?"

"I've tried reasoning with her about that too! She won't listen!"

"So take a different tack. Try talking with Ben," Rose shrugged.

Finn nearly choked. "What could I possibly have to say to that monster?"

"Asking him for advice on how to get back in Rey's good graces would be a good start," his wife pointed out. "Also, explaining to him why he is still being held, without trial - which is _illegal_ \- might be productive..."

"He's an enemy combatant, a terrorist..."

"At least allow him and Rey to see each other..."

"Absolutely not!"

"Then TALK TO HIM!" Rose snapped screechily, the picture of a nagging wife.

"All right, woman! After the weekend, I will talk to him."

Rose sat back against the pillows, pleased.

"Don't make that face," Finn moaned.

"What face?" she asked innocently.

"That smug, 'I Won' face. It's infuriating!"

Rose just smirked further, cracking open a book from her nightstand. Finn suddenly got an idea. "Hey: you still see Rey. Maybe you can talk to her for me."

"Nope," Rose chirped, turning a page.

"Why the kriff not, woman?"

Rose clapped the book shut with a sigh. "Honey, if you want to make up with Rey, you're going to have to do it for yourself as much as for her. Because if you don't, and you keep forcing her to choose between you and Ben, she's going to choose Ben."

Finn's eyes bulged, spluttering. "She... she wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't she? You just try her like you've been with the denial of these applications, and pretty soon the only thing you'll have left is me. Cause you will lose her... and I know you don't want that." By now, her gaze had softened into something sad.

Sighing deeply, Finn got up and snuggled against her on the bed. He was surprised and grateful that she even allowed it. Softly, he pecked her lips. "Rosie?"

"Yes?"

"Can we try for a baby?"

She turned back to her book. "Make up with Rey. Sign that marriage license form for her. Talk to Ben... and I will consider it."

He flopped his head into the pillows.


	3. Chapter 3: Trust You

**Chapter 3: Trust You**

When Finn had picked up his comlink first thing Monday morning and ordered Beaumont to make an appointment with Ben Solo for later that same day, the Commander's Secretary had initially asked for Finn to repeat the directive, certain he had misheard.

"You understood me correctly, Beaumont. Bring the prisoner before me. I want him secured in his Force-proof cuffs and two guards posted at my door for the duration of the meeting."

"Very good, sir."

Just after lunchtime, Finn heard the knock on his door. "Enter," he ordered.

Two guards came in, flanking Ben Solo in chains. Finn's mouth pursed in a hard line as he gestured.

"Have a seat." Ben did. Finn waved his hand. "Leave us," he ordered the guards. "Secure the door."

The guards departed, leaving behind a thick silence. Finn returned to his work, scratching out a directive for the construction of a new class of X-Wings. The rattling of chains as Ben shifted in his chair barely made him glance up.

"You asked to see me, Commander?"

Finn set his pen aside. Folding his arms across his desk, he fixed Ben with a hard stare.

"I don't trust you. I will never trust you."

Ben laughed bitterly. "Believe me, the feeling is entirely mutual."

"Clearly, you and I have our own issues to work out." Finn observed.

"You were an insubordinate cadet. A traitor."

"And you were a rotten boss." Silence reigned, broken only by twin sighs from the two men. Evidently, they had needed to get those feelings off their chests. Finally, Ben leaned forward, his voice now surprisingly soft.

"How is she?"

Finn couldn't meet his eyes. "I wouldn't know. She hasn't spoken to me or sought me out since you were arrested." He chose to ignore the smug look of satisfaction that he could feel radiating from Ben. At last, Finn spat it out. "She has applied on behalf of you both for a marriage license."

He felt Ben soften, and returning his gaze to the prisoner, he saw only grateful love there as he thought of his girl, mixed with a puffed out chest of confidence. "You can't stop love."

"I can do quite a bit as Supreme Allied Commander. Such as keeping the two of you from seeing each other. Denying each and every application for a marriage license - three times already," Finn growled. "And if you don't remember your place, _Kylo Ren_, I can make it a fourth."

Ben glowered, his countenance like that of a mustang cowed but refusing to be fully tamed. Still, his chest concaved, even as he cocked an eyebrow. "_Can_? Or _will_?"

Finn didn't answer for a moment. Finally, with unusual vulnerability, speaking almost as if Ben was no longer in the room, he admitted again, "She won't talk to me. And I miss her. My wife has been keeping tabs on her, but..." his voice trailed off. "I want to protect her. Protect her from _you_. Maker knows why, but she is in love with you, clearly. But I also don't want to lose my best friend."

Ben rested his elbows on his knees, resting his lips on his thumbs, deep in thought. At last, he piped up:

"You say you don't trust me."

"Don't, and never will," Finn snarled.

"That's irrelevant," Ben dismissed, and Finn bristled at how haughty he sounded. Or maybe he bristled at how his animosity for Ben didn't seem to bother the man. "You should at least trust Rey. If you do trust her in this, she'll meet you halfway. Maker knows why, but she is very attached to you, clearly." It was not lost on Finn how Ben was throwing his own words back at him. "She told me once herself."

Not sure exactly how to respond to that, a shaken Finn stood. "Guards!" he called. "The prisoner is finished with me." And Ben was dismissed.

* * *

Following the end of the business day, Finn piloted his landspeeder over to the trading outpost of Mos Eisley. The _Millennium Falcon_ had been retired here, at the Army Headquarters' shipyard. The famed ship was also now the home of Rey, the Last Jedi, who had been living in the old hull because she refused to part with it.

And also probably because the shipyard was positioned just a few miles from the maximum security prison where Ben was held...

Deviating from normal routine, Finn had figured that he would pick Rose up this time, instead of waiting to meet her at home. At the very least, the freeze-out from his best friend had not extended to his wife. Rose went over to Rey's almost every day for tea. That was how Finn even knew anything about Rey's current life at all. Striding up to the lowered gangplank, Finn called:

"Rose, honey? Ready to go home?"

There was a slight silence, followed by what sounded like whispering. At last, Rose's voice replied: "Come on up, sweetheart."

Finn entered the famed ship. He found his wife and Rey seated together at the dejarik board, empty mugs of tea before them. Finn's heart clenched when his gaze met Rey's to find she was eyeing him warily, coldly. Suddenly feeling quite desperate, he asked:

"Rosie, would you mind waiting down by the landspeeder? I would like to speak with Rey alone."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Finn..." But she was startled when Rey suddenly turned to her and nodded slowly. Unsure for a moment, Rose finally hugged her, stood and exited, pausing to peck Finn's cheek and level him with a pointed look. "Don't be long."

Once they were alone, Finn drifted toward the dejarik booth. Rey made no moves to get away from him, so he sat down directly opposite her. "How... how are you?"

The stupidity of his question was evident the moment it left his lips. "Spectacular. You've imprisoned my sweetheart, forbidden that I see him, and refused our desire for marriage! How's life for you, Finn?" The sarcasm in her voice was acidic. Finn winced.

"I... I spoke with Ben today."

"Yes, I know," Rey clipped coolly. "Rosie told me you would be meeting with him. At least you do whatever _she_ asks. An obeyed wife is a happy wife, I hear." Finn cringed again. He waited for Rey to ask him what he and Ben had discussed, but she didn't.

Instead, he asked a question of his own. "Rey... why do you love Ben?"

She blinked at him, frowned hard. "I don't think I need to justify my love to you..."

"No, I truly want to understand." And he kept his face as sincere as he could.

Rey eyed him hard for another minute, deeply mistrustful. At last, she admitted softly:

"I can't really explain it. I haven't got the words. Before you sealed off our Force Bond with those cuffs..." (he gaped at her) "... we knew everything about each other. We do know everything about each other. Nothing is hidden. He understands me, and I understand him. We both have yearned for belonging, and have found it in each other. With Ben, I am... whole." Her voice drifted off quite suddenly.

Oddly, Finn felt tears prick at his eyes. Standing, he cleared his throat. "Well... I believe you. Good night." Awkwardly, he took his leave, sensing Rey staring after him.


	4. Chapter 4: Partial Freedom

**Chapter 4: Partial Freedom**

By now, Beaumont was pretty sure that something was up with his boss, given how out-of-character his recent orders had been. "Are... are you feeling all right, sir?"

"Yes, of course. You heard me correctly, Beaumont. Fetch Rey and bring her to the prisoner's cell. I will meet you there." Ending the call on his comlink, Finn hurried from his office and sped his landspeeder from Ancorhead to Mos Eisley. Seeing Beaumont's speeder turn behind him in direction of the shipyard, he gunned the thrusters faster, beating both of his friends to Ben's cell by a good five minutes. Standing before him in shackles, Ben looked deeply confused.

"What's this all about, Commander? Has my sentence been handed down?"

"Not yet," Finn informed him, leaving just enough regret in his voice, though it now seemed forced. "You have a surprise. A visitor."

Down the hall, a door clanged open, and Beaumont and Rey came into view. Rey's eyes widened.

"Ben? Ben?!"

"Rey!" Ben tugged against his chains, letting them extend as far as they would go. The slack took him up to the bars of his cell. Pushing his face against the bars, Rey grabbed for him and pressed her lips desperately to his. It was awkward, and not at all easy, trying to kiss through bars, but Rey did her level best to caress every inch of him. Finn waved her through once he got the door open, then turned to Beaumont.

"Be on hand. I'll need you in a few hours."

Rey threw her arms around Ben and kissed him. Ben growled like an animal and deepened the kiss rather indecently. After many minutes, the lovers dreamily broke apart.

"If I didn't have on these damn chains," Ben snarled, "I'd take you on this floor here and now."

Rey let out an adorable yip and flushed pink. Finn cocked one eyebrow but said nothing.

"I want to wait until after we're married," Rey said adorably. Over her head, Ben sent a skeptical look Finn's way, making the Commander squirm uncomfortably. But, the prisoner lightly kissed Rey's lips and murmured, "Whatever you want, love."

Finn cleared his throat. Still in Ben's arms, Rey craned back to look at her best friend.

"I have decided to allow you both to see each other for three hours every day."

Rey's eyes widened in surprise, her face alighting with hope. Even Ben looked pleased. Finn held up a hand. "On one condition: you cannot go off-world, or this privilege will be revoked immediately. Mr. Solo, I expect you to be punctual in returning to your cell. My advice: stay in a central location - the _Falcon_, perhaps. You'll likely get... privacy there anyway." With the old freighter marooned, Finn was confident the couple would not try to make an escape.

Rey peered up into his face gratefully, her eyes shining. "Thank you so much," she whispered.

Finn turned to a stationed guard. "Take the cuffs off Mr. Solo."

"Right away, sir."

As soon as the Force cuffs fell away, Ben and Rey let out deep sighs of relief in unison, as if they had stepped back under a warm shower spray after having it turned off for a while. The Bond coming roaring back to life. Finn curiously filed this away for later.

"You have three hours. Make them count."

Beaming and giddy, Rey grabbed Ben's hand. "Come on." And they raced away for the _Falcon_.

* * *

Beaumont wasn't exactly sure what he would find as he approached the _Falcon_'s gangplank three hours later. Nearing the top of the ramp, he heard what sounded like moaning.

"Hmmmm... Oh, no..."

"Oh yesssss..."

"Oh, please nooooooo..."

"Yes... yesssss..."

"Mmmm... Hmmm... Ben... Touch me..."

Rounding the corner, Beaumont came upon Ben and Rey - mercifully still clothed - their hands all over one another and their mouths swallowing each other whole. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat. The couple jumped apart, Rey flushing furiously.

"Best start making our way back."

Slipping out of Ben's embrace, Rey offered him her hand. "I'll walk you back."

When the group arrived at Ben's cell, the prisoner stopped so that Beaumont could cuff him again. Glancing down, he spied a piece of paper in the middle of the floor. "What's this?"

Following his gaze, Rey stooped to pick it up. Her eyes sweeping over every line, her expression became lighter and lighter until -

Rey grabbed Ben's face and fiercely kissed him. "I'll be your wife very soon," she whispered into his mouth. "I love you." Running out of the cell, Rey continued to pelt all the way through the streets of Mos Eisley until she reached her speeder. Reaching Anchorhead, she entered Army Headquarters to spy Finn in the main lobby. Pelting towards him, Rey leapt into his arms with a happy squeal, folding her limbs about him. Finn spun her around, laughing.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rey squealed.

Finn chuckled. "Very well, my dear: when shall we make the wedding?"

Rey beamed. "Immediately."


	5. Chapter 5: What Sort of Devil

**Chapter 5: What Sort of Devil**

"Ben Solo, Prince of Alderaan, King of Naboo..."

"Threepio, skip to the end," Ben snapped through gritted teeth, noting the sharp gasp from his bride beside him.

"But... but, sir - your titles..."

"Shut him up or shut him down!" Ben snapped to no one in particular. Honestly, all he wanted to do was marry Rey and then drag her into a dark corner so he could ravish her. "I can't work with this!"

Threepio bustled a few steps over to him. "Sir, with all due respect, I must obey protocol -"

"Can you keep him _away_ from me, please?" Ben begged Rose, the wedding planner. He didn't appreciate how the technician was by now full-on laughing.

"Threepio, back to the lectern. And keep it simple." The golden droid obeyed, looking a little put out. Ben turned back to his bride with an apologetic smile, only to find tears glistening in her beautiful brown eyes. "Hey... are you OK?"

She was staring at him as though she had never seen him before. "You're... a _prince_? A _king_?"

Ben thought fast. "Give us a minute," he murmured over his shoulder to Rose, and he pulled Rey into a far corner of the tiny chapel. Tears were streaming down her face.

"I can't believe it. You could have any woman in the galaxy. And yet, you chose me..."

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me, look at me, right at me," Ben whispered soothingly, tenderly cupping her face and brushing away her tears with his thumb. "Yes, I am the heir to the throne on two different systems - well, one system, because Alderaan is gone. But, prince, king, Supreme Leader - those titles mean _nothing_ to me. The _only_ title that means _anything_ to me is being husband to you."

Rey caressed him. "I am not worthy of you..."

"Yes, you _are_." Ben's voice was filled with fire. He gave the flower in her hair a loving flick - a daisy, his favorite, he noted. "Now, shall we get married?"

Rey smiled weakly, tearfully, and nodded. "OK. We shall." They returned to the lectern. Mercifully, Threepio kept it simple.

"Ben Solo, do you take Rey to be your..."

"I do," Ben cut him off.

Threepio bristled, but turned to the bride. "Rey, do you take Ben Solo to be your..."

She also didn't let him finish. Smiling, Rey took Ben's hand. "I do," she whispered.

"I now pronounce this couple man and wife. You may kiss."

Ben was on Rey in an instant, and they were soon kissing each other rather indecently, ignoring the cheers and wolf whistles. When they broke the kiss at last, Rey looked adorably scandalized.

"Ben!" she hissed.

He just smirked. "Let 'em look."

The reception was the biggest party Tatooine had seen in a while. Finn rewarded his wife for all her hard work by dancing with her to as many songs as she wanted. Occasionally, his eyes would wander back to the newlyweds. Rey had her head on Ben's chest, looking utterly, blissfully content. Ben's chin perched lightly on the top of her crown. They both looked so... happy...

Pausing in the two-step with Rose, Finn pecked her lips lightly. "It's kind of stuffy in here. I need some air." And he headed for the exits, leaving the reception early. At his back, he could feel two pairs of eyes on him - Rose, and her love; Rey, her affection and gentle concern.

He headed out into the balmy Tatooine air. The sand sucked in his feet as he moved over the crest of the nearest dune, but he didn't stop, glancing up at the stars and Tatooine's twin moons. Halting at the dune's peak, Finn fixed his gaze heavenward.

Ever since his first conversation with Ben, what he knew, - or thought he knew - his entire worldview had been turned on its head. Yes, Ben Solo had done terrible things. But was he a terrible man? At one time, Finn thought he could arrive at a ready answer. Now he wasn't so sure. Though reserved, Ben was a polite enough fellow. A model prisoner. And he treated Rey as though every celestial body in the galaxy rose and set on her shoulders. Finn could only hope for so much for his best friend - that her spouse would treat her well.

Was it possible that he was judging the wrong man? Was it possible to actually think of Ben Solo and Kylo Ren as two separate people? Again, the answer was elusive. Poe would not have found this so hard a puzzle.

"Poe? POE, are you there?!" Finn called quite suddenly into the night. Of course, there was no answer, but Finn would have liked one right about then. Heck, he would not have minded for the Force ghost of Luke Skywalker to visit him with sage advice. Apparently, the departed Jedi Master had done so for Rey, when she was at her lowest point.

Just then, Finn thought about something his wife had told him: _you're going to have to do it for yourself... _

She was right. Finn was going to have to make the decision for himself. No one else was going to do it for him - not Poe Dameron, not Luke Skywalker, or anyone else. He had made the decision to let Rey and Ben see each other, allow them to marry. Once Finn stopped standing in his own and everyone else's way, these decisions had come surprisingly easy. Maybe this one would too.

Heading back to the chapel and circling to the front, Finn hailed a hover cab to take him to his office. The Army Headquarters building was dark and deserted when he arrived. Locking himself in his study, he procured the file he was looking for. Studied the blank square of paper accompanying it; it was barely the size of a ballot. Scribbling on it, Finn then turned to a blank sheet of paper and began to pen a letter...


	6. Chapter 6: It Is So Ordered

**Chapter 6: It Is So Ordered**

Finn invited all his colleagues and loved ones to the Headquarters' conference room the morning of the verdict. A holovision set and cart had been set up in one corner, with GNN running live, the cameras now zooming in on Senate Court Chief Justice Mon Mothma - 81 years old and still kicking - as she approached the podium.

"The Senate Court has come to its decision regarding the fate of Kylo Ren, born Ben Solo. An amicus brief was recently filed to the Court, and proved to have a key influence in our decision. As it was authored by one of our fellow Justices, it will also serve as our majority opinion, and I believe deserves to be read out loud." Shuffling the papers before her, Mothma began to read:

"_In war and the ugly aftermath of it, there comes a time when a person finds the life of a fellow being sitting in his hands. In such moments, it is rare to have the benefit of time to weigh which lives to spare and which lives to take. Having been blessed with that benefit, this Court has come to several perhaps uncomfortable, and yet undeniable conclusions. _

_We are a body governed by laws and not by humanoids or other life-forms. Though we rule upon and have the final say on which laws are just and which are not, which sentences are fair and which are not, we do so with the people's trust. _

_The man known as Kylo Ren has committed egregious war crimes against this universe. This is undeniable. But what is also undeniable is the Force's work in each and every one of our destinies. The Force will always give us the answer - maybe not the one we want to hear, but the right one nonetheless. The Force has its will, and we all must follow it. The Force is finished with Kylo Ren..._

_...but the Force is not finished with Ben Solo._

_Some may say, "Give us vengeance so we may know peace!" But no peace can be found from vengeance. In this case, the greatest peace can be found through a mercy born of love. A love granted without conditions. For love is not possession, nor is it for reward. We don't love to get something in return, or to get love back. We love - and should love - others whether they deserve it or not. We are made to love one another. It doesn't matter how Kylo Ren or Ben Solo or anyone else has treated us, or if they deserve it. We need to show them love anyway. The author of this majority opinion has witnessed that love freely given to even the most miserable of men - an inspiration we should all aspire to. It is possible to give that love to Ben Solo, for he has already received it from others - from his late father, from his late uncle, from his late mother... and from his chosen bride. Yes, a Jedi can love a Sith. Yes, a lion can love a lamb. _

_And yes, the highest court in this universe can love and save a wretch like Ben Solo. The Force itself wills it so. _

_That is why this Court shall reject the petition for the death penalty and instead grant Ben Solo his life in exile - a sentence to be served wherever he and his wife wish. _

_Ben Solo will answer for what he has done, to be sure. But it is an answer, a recompense, that he shall arrive at for himself, and not have foisted on him by others. You alone can make decisions for yourself - no one else can make them for you. _

_Ben Solo's life shall be spared. By a vote of 5 to 4, it is so ordered._

_Signed, _

_Finn Tico _

_Supreme Allied Commander of the Final Republic _

_Representative Associate Justice for the Galactic Senate Court_"

Both of Rey's hands went to her mouth in astonishment as she gasped, tears prickling at her eyes. Her gaze snapped to Finn, drowning out the shouts and cheers from the rest of the conference room. He merely nodded at her deferentially. Having also been chosen to serve as the one Associate Justice elected by the people, he had voted NO on the death penalty, tipping the vote.

At that moment, the door opened and guards escorted Ben Solo into the room. The prisoner and his wife had eyes only for each other.

Finn nodded and gave the order. "Release him."

The Force cuffs fell away, Ben rubbing his wrists before his eyes locked back on Rey's. The couple ran into each other's arms and embraced, Rey nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck.

Kaydel Kol Connix-Antilles and Rose were both weeping. And as she stepped out of her husband's arms, an also weeping Rey ran to Finn and threw her arms around him.

"_Thank you_," her voice shook in a whisper. Drawing back, she pecked his cheek, cupped his face. "I forgive you. Friends?"

Finn beamed. "_Best_ friends. Go in peace. We'll see each other again - I believe that."

And hand-in-hand with her husband, Rey Solo walked away, no doubt taking him to the _Falcon_ so they could celebrate alone and work out what to do next. Finn watched them go with a small smile.

Next second, though, he was being spun around, as arms draped around his neck and Rose gave him a long, lingering kiss. Their lips coming apart softly, she beamed at him.

"You did the right thing. I'm proud of you."

Grinning, Finn pulled her close. "I love you."

Rose smiled. "I know." A pause, and then: "So, you wanna race home and make that baby?"

Finn kissed Rose indecently in front of everyone.


End file.
